Silicone bladders are sometimes used in the forming of composite stringers and other hollow composite parts for aircraft. Unfortunately, these bladders can be difficult to remove from within the hollow composite part after the part is cured. To facilitate their removal, peel ply and/or ETFE plastic film is often wrapped onto and taped to the silicone bladders to create a breather between the silicone bladder and the hollow composite part. However, the tape can leave mark-offs or unintended indentions on an inner surface of the hollow composite part. Furthermore, because the peel ply and/or ETFE plastic film is taped by hand, the tightness of the wrap and the locations of the taping may not be uniform for each of the silicone bladders, leading to inconsistency between the hollow composite parts. Additionally, wrapping the bladder in this manner can be time consuming.
A need therefore exists for an improved method and apparatus for applying material to silicone bladders for facilitating their removal from formed composite parts.